Ocean, nature, critters, and recreation

Mar 25, 2013

No buyer for whale shark 'accidentally' killed off India

If there's good news to be gleaned from a report in India, about fishermen who claimed to have accidentally netted and killed a protected whale shark, it's that they could not find a buyer in either their local market, in Dighi, or at a larger market in Mumbai.

Maybe this will help cut down on so-called accidental catches of docile creatures that are vulnerable to fishing pressure throughout their tropical habitat.

The bad news, of course, is that one of these mysterious gentle giants was killed and ultimately dumped at sea.

DNA India reports that the whale shark caught last week weighed 780 kilograms, or more than 1,700 pounds.

The story quotes a forest department official as saying, "It is obvious that it was an accident; the fishermen did not intend to catch this particular fish."

Plankton-eating whale sharks, which are still hunted in parts of Asia, are the largest fish on the planet and can reach lengths of 40 feet or more.

Little is known about their migration patterns or their overall population, but their numbers are believed to have declined sharply over the years.

They're prized as tourist attractions at scuba-diving destinations within their range, and in these areas, obviously, they're worth far more alive than they are dead.